Progeny of the Scientist
by Dekadeci
Summary: [Super Bust a Move] Ever wondered who really created Mr. At? This story will tell you who. [Note: All at signs have been replaced with the word At to prevent their deletion and demise.]
1. Chapter 1: Leaving the Planet

Notes: Due to the fact that FanFiction deletes all language-irrelevant characters, I'm forced to change the main character's name to Mr. At. At least it doesn't hack half his name off.

Disclaimer: I don't own Taito, the Bust-a-Move/Puzzle Bobble series, or any company that has remotely participated in the creation of that particular series. I also don't own Wolo, Pinky, Miss T, Catch, Tom and Yam, Mog, Mr. At, Katze, Pukadon, Fungila, Bubblun, and/or Bobblun. However, I just might own Green Wolo, Winky, Pink T, Reichu, Bom and Sam, Moga, Blackup, Katze the Experimenter, Kame, Fungilo, Roja, Rija, Rurun, Burble, and any other character I make up that isn't in this list.

Disclaimer 2: I have never played Super Bust-a-Move 2, so don't shoot me down if I'm not according to game canon there.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Leaving the Planet**

The planet of Planera was awakening, as its sun, Nubilas, rose over the horizon. Its daytime sky was usually a pale green, but the sunrise made it a wondrous blue. Warm rays of light spread through the city of Izzardville, into one of its houses, and touched upon the plastic screen of a particular robot.

That sunbeam was Mr. At's signal to awaken (of sorts). He was staying at Mog's house for the night (like most other nights he spent in Planera) and, to fit in with the others, he plugged himself into an electric socket and shut off his peripherals when everyone else went to bed. However, that practice was about to change.

Accompanied by the buzz of electronics coming to life was a huge thundering nearby. Pukadon and his brother Kame had woken up, and they had only an hour to get to their martial arts class. They were conversing to keep themselves awake.

"It was good for Mog to let us stay for the night," Kame remarked half-sleepily.

"Well, she's friendly like that," Pukadon replied. "Then again, she's friendly all the time, even after Tom, Yam, Bom, and Sam fought in the middle of the living room yesterday. Now that was a disaster…"

"Don't worry, we all chipped in the money to pay for the damages," Kame replied.

"At any rate, we better get going, or we're going to be late," Pukadon said with a steely drive.

The two Pukays dashed through the hallway and straight past Mr. At, creating a cloud of dust in their wake.

Mr. At was used to being ignored like that around sunrise. He didn't see very many guests around that time, as most of them had left for the night and would come in the late morning. The only people who regularly slept in Mog's house were Mog, Moga (Mog's older sister), and Roja and Rija (Bubblun the Bobblesaur's sisters). And they weren't to awaken for another hour. He pointed his optical sensors towards the door and prepared himself for an hour of boredom.

Precisely an hour later, the door slowly opened, revealing two vividly coloured Bobblesaurs, followed by two Mogs wearing neckties. The Bobblesaurs bounced all the way across the hall, while the Mogs stalled for a little in the middle.

"Good to see you, At!" Mog greeted.

"Always good to see you," Mr. At replied.

The white Mog, Moga, then asked, "Are you going to join us for breakfast?"

"Yes, I will," the robot replied.

He unplugged his cord from the power socket, taking special care to also unplug the makeshift planetary adapter, and followed the two Mogs to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Mog cracked some eggs and made an omelette for Roja and Rija, while Moga poured some milk and plum-apple juice. Roja and Rija hopped around the kitchen table, and Roja asked, "Not eating breakfast again, are you?"

"Of course not," Mr. At replied. "I don't have a mouth to eat with. Thought you'd notice after six months of living with you guys…"

Roja and Rija just giggled in reply.

After the omelette was finished, Mog sat near Mr. At and asked, "Do you have any news today?"

Mr. At's screen changed from a cheery smile to a bit of a frown as he responded, "Well, I have news, but maybe I should wait until Catch gets here to tell it."

"He should be coming around 10:00 AM, so you'll get to talk," Mog replied.

There was the ringing of a doorbell just after Mog, Moga, Roja, and Rija brushed their teeth.

"I'll get it," Mr. At cried as he opened the door.

As Mr. At opened the door, his screen flickered to an involuntary smile as Catch entered the house.

"Hi, good to see you!" Mr. At said.

"Nice seeing you, too," Catch replied. "Anything going on?"

"Not right now," Mr. At responded. "We just finished breakfast. Then again, you have pretty good timing for coming in after we've eaten."

"Heh," Catch replied. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Mr. At replied. "You're always welcome unless you come in at 3:00 AM."

Catch and Mr. At walked into Mog's kitchen, as the living room was still a wreck.

"You think Mog's going to fix that living room soon?" Catch wondered.

"Probably," Mr. At replied. "She cares about that house a lot. I heard that she and Moga inherited it from their grandmother. At any rate, I have something to tell you, but I better get Mog here, too."

Soon after Mog came, Mr. At told everyone in the area what had been on his mind since last week. "Sorry if you're all going to miss me (and I'll miss you too), but I've finally decided to continue my search for my creator. I have a strong feeling that whoever created me isn't from this planet, and is probably in a planet called Kazera not far from here. So, I'll be going there, and I'll be coming back as soon as possible if I either find my creator or fail to find him, her, or it there."

It took a while for the news to sink in. Finally, Mog asked, "But why leave so soon?"

Mr. At just responded, "I already delayed my departure many times for you guys, but now the pull is just too strong. Sorry, everyone."

Mog replied, "I'm sorry, too. Don't worry, I'll tell Tom, Yam, Wolo, and the rest, so everyone will be informed."

Half an hour later, after Mr. At finished recharging his batteries and filling his jetpack back with rocket fuel, everyone Mog and Catch could possibly contact within thirty minutes (which included Tom, Yam, Wolo, Bubblun, and Bobblun) was in her backyard. Mr. At stood near the fence and prepared for liftoff.

"I am going to depart from this planet within a minute," Mr. At said. "I'll have to reach escape velocity to leave, so I recommend that none of you stand too close when I blast off. I also recommend that everyone wears their earplugs, because even if you are far away, this could get a bit loud."

"I forgot my earplugs!" Yam exclaimed.

"Try putting your head in Tom's legs, then," the robot replied.

As everyone scrambled to get back into Mog's house and look through a window that oversaw the backyard, Mr. At turned into a rocket (which wasn't particularly spectacular, as he only needed to stiffen his arms, change his screen to neutral, and use the rocket fuel in his jetpack to succeed) and blasted off.

Ten pairs of ears heard the ground-shaking noise of someone leaving the planet, and ten pairs of eyes followed the rocket's path out of the atmosphere and into deep space. However, that trail of vapour was gone in the blaze of the noontime sun.


	2. Chapter 2: The Great Forest

Disclaimer: Don't make me repeat it from the first chapter. 

Note: This is the first chapter that we're going to hear words from other languages. These languages are Kazean (which some of the characters speak) and Fungiloid (which all the characters of that species speak). The vocabulary and translation guides will always be after the story.

Note 2: Since he is in Kazera, Mr. At is going to speak Kazean from here on. Nearly all the Kazean in this story is translated into English (the rest is translated at the end).

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Great Forest**

It was precisely two weeks from Mr. At's departure from Planera. Most of the members of the SBAM League (as they liked to call themselves) were just the same as ever. Wolo and Green Wolo still pulled their pranks, Pinky still sang everyone into oblivion, and Miss T still looked fondly at her reflection in the mirror. But Mog was sorely missing Mr. At.

"I miss Mr. At," Mog sighed sorrowfully for the umpteenth time.

"Hasn't it been two stinking weeks?" Bom, the rival of Tom, said for his words of sympathy.

"Still, I miss him," Mog replied. "It just hasn't been the same without his wit and personality…"

"Hopefully he'll come back soon," Catch consoled.

"Yeah," Mog responded as she cheered up slightly. "I also hope he's okay, wherever he is…"

Meanwhile in Kazera, Mr. At was definitely not okay. He had nearly botched the landing, so he almost overheated and was going too fast. He had to land in a lake to cushion his fall.

"Jano!" he cried as he splashed in the water. "Thank whoever created me that I am waterproof…"

He tried to swim ashore, but that option was quickly ruled out as he started to sink. After one minute and thirty seconds' worth of hopelessly attempting to tread water, he was forced to rocket himself out of the lake.

The landing caught the attention of one of the planet's residents. That blue Fungiloid saw the strange being that appeared in the forest and thought it would make a good meal.

"Ruar…ruar…"

Mr. At heard the strange noises and thought he was near someone, so he walked towards whatever made the noise. He only realized it was a trap when it was too late.

The Fungiloid lunged and bit the robot's leg. He made a few muffled barks and attempted to claw his potential meal. After the initial swipes, though, he was forced to let go so he could slash his victim's belly open.

Not taking any chances, Mr. At leaped and blasted off to safety immediately after the alien let go. The resulting fog sufficiently confused the Fungiloid, and Mr. At was not to be hunted for a long time yet.

"Whew! That's over with," Mr. At remarked. "But how am I going to survive here? I don't know of any source of electricity here, and I'm going to run out of power within a week. Maybe I could build a water wheel and a generator, but that'll take months. Oh well, maybe I can find some help…"

Momentarily limping as the polymers in his right leg fixed themselves, Mr. At stumbled through the forest of weird vegetation. He was about to shut off his peripherals to save energy when he finally found someone else.

"Er…who are you exactly?" Mr. At asked the mysterious being when he first met him.

"I'd like to ask the same question, too," the being replied as he moved into full sight.

There was a slight pause as the two robots looked at each other. Then Mr. At said, "Come to think of it, now that I've got a better look at you, you look just like my colour negative!"

"Jano, and you look just like mine!" the other robot replied in surprise. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know. At any rate, I'm trying to find some electricity here. Do you know where I can get some?"

"You do note that I'm plugged straight into this kachanga?"

"Sorry, I didn't notice. Can I plug mine into the same one?"

"Sure. I think one of those can support three of us."

After Mr. At jabbed his plug into the tree-like organism, he asked, "Can I take a rest here?"

"Sure you can. You looked like you needed one anyway."

As Mr. At turned off his peripherals and rested himself, he wondered whether he would ever find his creator. Would this guy be able to help him? But he didn't let that worry him for long, as the feed from his optical sensors faded into blackness.

* * *

**Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides**

Kazean:

Fungiloid - One of the sentient species of Kazera (the same word is used for their language)

Jano - A general remark of surprise

Kachanga - A large plant-like organism that contains flowing electric charges

Fungiloid:

Ruar - A general hunting call used to lure prey


	3. Chapter 3: Blackup

Disclaimer: I'm not repeating it!

Note: You'll be hearing a lot more words from other languages from this chapter forward. As always, the definitions are at the end.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Blackup**

Mr. At ended up keeping his peripherals off for more than a day. When he finally turned them on, he exclaimed in surprise, "Jano, it's still night time!"

"What did you expect? You were like that for one entire loquaid!" the robot next to him snapped in reply.

"Oh, sorry, didn't realize it's been so long," Mr. At replied. He jerked his plug out of the kachanga, then asked, "Sorry if I didn't bother you about it earlier, but what's your name?"

"Blackup," the black robot responded. "And what's yours?"

"Mr. At," the white one replied.

_Strange name, but I think I've heard weirder,_ they both thought simultaneously.

"Oh, yeah, I better tell you this," Mr. At remarked after the short pause. "Besides looking for electricity, I'm also looking for whoever created me. I've been searching ever since I can remember, but I've had no luck."

"I haven't bothered to search, but I don't know who created me either," Blackup replied. "Now you've got me wondering…"

"I've searched through all the Malnusike Manuals, all the Robot Owner's Guides, and all the Achaiya Gazettes I could get from Kazera, and I found no one. I also haven't found anyone of the same model as me (besides you), so I think we're of a very rare model. That means we could both be created by the same guy. You think so, too?"

"Come to think of it, we probably are," Blackup responded. "At any rate, this is near the edge of the forest already. Maybe we'll find some Kazes outside of this. And yes, I'm joining you." As he said this, his screen flickered to a happy smile.

The two robots walked out of the forest and into a wide plain. Besides the forest of kachangas, the only things in sight were an endless field of croppis and a faraway, silver tower.

"That tower's probably inhabited by someone," Blackup commented. "I haven't heard of them popping out of nowhere. You think we should check it out?"

"Yes, if only to find out where to go next," Mr. At answered.

"Nnn, it looks far away. Should we walk there or not?"

"I think we both want to get this over with (and we'll need some electricity back, too), so I'm thinking of rocketing there…"

"Amappa, I need to fill up, then! Should we go back?"

"Well, if you agree with my plan, we should…"

"Yes, I agree. It's more economical that way. But I've run flat out of rocket fuel!"

"We can go back, you already suggested that."

Mr. At and Blackup then ran back to the forest to access the lake. Luckily, they were not hunted by any more Fungiloids.

"Whew, I'd thought we'd meet that Fungilo again!" Blackup commented as they reached the lake.

"Who's Fungilo?" Mr. At asked.

"Fungilo? He's that blue Fungiloid who's been going through this patch of forest lately. I don't think he'll want to eat us again after I got away."

"Is he the only one around here?"

"I'd think so. The only other ones I see in that area are purple, and they're female."

"Darn, that means he's the one that tried to eat me! He must've thought he was trying to eat _you_ again…"

"Nnn, I wonder why it didn't work…Well, at any rate, if we're going to be blasting ourselves to there, then I need to fill up."

After Mr. At helped Blackup fill his jetpack with water (which the black robot then split into rocket fuel components), Mr. At then asked, "Should we start rocketing out of the forest?"

Blackup answered, "I don't think it's practical. There's a very good chance that we could slam into a kachanga."

"I guess that chance is pretty good," Mr. At agreed, so they ran out of the forest as fast as they could.

As soon as they reached the plain again, Blackup asked, "Sorry if I forgot, but how do you rocket toward there? I haven't done this very often."

"You just point toward where you're going and use the fuel from there," Mr. At replied.

After the advice, they both soared off the ground and headed for the building. It took them a while (that tower was a little further away than they thought), but they finally got there. By that time, Kazera's sun was high in the sky.

When Mr. At and Blackup arrived, they looked at the tower and wondered how to get in. Then Blackup noticed a rather strange barking.

"Ruuuu…"

"Sheesh, not another Fungiloid," Blackup commented as he looked toward the purple Fungiloid.

"Rawra huru ro roruho," the purple Fungiloid muttered as she noticed Blackup's glance.

After Blackup looked back, he then remarked, "I have a really bad feeling about this encounter…"

* * *

**Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides**

Kazean:

Achaiya - A word for robot (in general)

Amappa - A stronger exclamation of surprise (the Kazean equivalent of "Darn it!" or "Dang it!")

Croppis - A small grass-like organism

Loquaid - A Kazean day

Malnusike - A sentient robot

Nnn (the number of n's does not matter) - The Kazean equivalent of "umm..." or "uh..."

Fungiloid:

Rawra huru ro roruho - "You're the same as the description"

Ru (the number of u's does not matter) - A general negative remark


	4. Chapter 4: The Watchdog

Disclaimer: Must...not...repeat...

Note: In case you actually read the Super Bust-a-Move instruction manual, the identity of the purple Fungiloid's basically spoiled for you. However, in this fanfiction, she's actually female. The other characters may think she's male because of her attitude. (There's also the fact that she can't speak English or Kazean, and, as such, can't tell the other characters she's female.)

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Watchdog**

The purple Fungiloid paused for a bit, her eyes unmoving as she took one final glance at the two robots. Then she sternly asked, "Horo rawra?"

"Despite my experiences with Fungiloids, I still don't understand the question," Blackup responded.

"I'd say the same thing as you," Mr. At replied.

Not getting a positive response, the Fungiloid growled and said, "Hruhru raw oroha ruhr rara rahr rohuhro rawra. Rawra ror ruhur rara ar rawhor."

"This isn't a very good tone of voice," Mr. At remarked.

"Or positive body language," Blackup commented sourly.

Still not getting much of a response, the Fungiloid bit Blackup's head and dragged him towards a strange machine.

"Aagh! Hey! I refuse to leave!" Blackup shouted in protest as he was dragged away.

"Not you!" Mr. At screamed when he saw Blackup disappear from the scene. "I'm coming to rescue you!"

The Fungiloid was running as fast as she could, but even that was slow enough that Mr. At could run instead of being forced to turn into a rocket. After the trio ran for quite a while, they arrived at the other side of the silver tower.

On that side, there was your typical Bust-a-Move machine. Even though it was probably there for at least a thousand years (or its equivalent in quaids), it still looked as bright as new. It also came with bubbles and a small bubble-producing machine.

"Hey, this looks familiar," Mr. At remarked as he looked at it.

"What am I supposed to do?" Blackup asked as the Fungiloid let go.

"I'm pretty sure I know, so I'll go first," Mr. At responded.

The purple Fungiloid took her position in the Player 1 spot. Mr. At then ran into the Player 2 spot. The Fungiloid growled what sounded like "Ruuuu…" in reply, but did not yank the white robot out.

The Fungiloid soon shot her first bubble at the board. Mr. At quickly shot one towards his in reply, and the match was on.

As the two were embroiled in a mess of bubbles, Mr. At soon saw some strange black bubbles float towards his board.

"Hey, I haven't seen this colour before," he remarked. "How am I supposed to get rid of them?"

The Fungiloid stopped barking, as if she heard what Mr. At said.

When a black bubble came out of the machine, Mr. At knew he had found the answer to his question. He quickly shot it at the other black bubbles, thus causing some bubbles to fall off his board and fly towards the other player's.

With that, the Fungiloid found herself in a mass of bubbles. Mr. At was soon flying circles around his opponent. After he won two games in a row, he was allowed to step off his platform.

"Rawra rayr," the Fungiloid barked in submission. "Rawra horayro. Rayray roru ru rawhor." She pointed her head towards Blackup with her last comment.

"Oh, great," Blackup muttered when he heard it. "I think I learned nothing from your demo, Mr. At. How do I play this game?"

"Okay, five-yaquaid lesson here," Mr. At responded. "You see this pointer? It guides the bubble you are currently shooting, which is here, towards its spot on this board. You aim the pointer with this winch. Clockwise is right, and anticlockwise is left. You are supposed to…"

Exactly five yaquaids later, Blackup was beckoned towards the board by the purple Fungiloid.

"Thanks for teaching me that quick!" Blackup exclaimed as he ran towards the Player 2 spot.

"It's nothing compared to what we have to do," Mr. At replied.

Blackup hesitated for a split second as he took his position on the platform, and then shot his first bubble.

Unfortunately, that first game did not bode so well with Blackup. He kept on getting black bubbles, and his attempts to demolish them were all in vain. He was so upset, his screen nearly fumed.

"I know you feel bad that you lost," Mr. At consoled. "However, I think I have a few tips for you."

"I hope they're good," Blackup remarked more optimistically.

"I think you have to shoot faster, for one. From what I could see, that opponent was shooting faster than you. For two, you'll have to be more offensive. Instead of merely destroying bubbles, shoot them so that you make some fall off. Those structures tend to crumble if you destroy all the bubbles above them."

"I'll make sure to follow them," Blackup replied.

The next game, Blackup performed markedly better. Instead of being crushed by bubbles, he was crushing his opponent with bubbles. He ended up winning that one.

As Blackup started to leave, the Fungiloid held him back with a growl of "Ruuuu…"

"What, am I not supposed to?" Blackup cried before he retreated back for another game.

One victorious game for Blackup later, the purple Fungiloid growled, "Rawra rayr. Rawra horayro, rayray rawra ru harahu."

"At least that's done and over with," Blackup commented in relief.

"Yes, but we haven't reached our final goal," Mr. At replied. "All that just to find directions…"

They walked back to the other side of the tower as the purple Fungiloid resumed her post.

"I hope we'll find our creator soon," Mr. At said wistfully.

"I sure hope, too," Blackup commented, only part-sarcastically.

* * *

**Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides**

Kazean:

Quaid - The Kazean equivalent of a year

Yaquaid - The Kazean equivalent of a minute

Fungiloid:

Horo rawra? - "Who are you?"

Hruhru raw oroha ruhr rara rahr rohuhro rawra - "Mate and master told me to watch you"

Rawra horayro - "You may proceed"

Rawra rayr - "You win"

Rawra ror ruhur rara ar rawhor - "You must confront me to proceed"

Rayray rawra ru harahu - "But you won't like it"

Rayray roru ru rawhor - "But he can't"


	5. Chapter 5: The Match

Disclaimer: Thou shalt not repeat the disclaimer on fear of...oh, what the heck.

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Match**

Mr. At and Blackup found a strange, door-like opening on the side of the tower. The purple Fungiloid followed them to the same spot.

"I wonder how to get in," Blackup wondered.

"I think it has something to do with this opening, but it's shut," Mr. At replied. "What were the proper customs about entering places again? I only know the Planeran ones."

The purple Fungiloid said nothing, but she pressed a weird symbol nearby. The opening slid open with a noiseless motion.

"Thanks!" Mr. At complimented as the two robots walked in.

The Fungiloid said nothing again as she walked into the gap. The gap soon closed behind them.

"All right, so who else lives here?" Blackup asked. "I don't think it's just you, Fungiloid…"

"We'd better find whoever lives here," Mr. At urged as he yanked Blackup through the hall. "And I think that guy's leading the way."

The two robots followed the Fungiloid to a strange person who was currently manipulating a thin, electronic sheet.

"Rara horar rorura," the Fungiloid barked to her master.

"Good job, Fungila," the Fungiloid's master complimented as he patted her head.

"That's her name?" Mr. At remarked.

"I guess," Blackup replied. "I haven't heard her name before."

"Anyway, we'd like to ask you something, but first we have to know your name," Mr. At proclaimed.

"Name? It's Katze," the person responded. "And I'd like to ask yours."

"Mine's Mr. At," Mr. At replied.

"And mine's Blackup," Blackup continued.

Katze had a twinge before he continued, "And what were you going to ask?"

"We were going to ask you directions to the nearest settlement, because we're trying to find our creator," Mr. At responded.

"Jano, that's a touchy topic," Katze replied. "In order for me to answer that, I'm afraid I'll have to challenge you to a match."

"And this match shall be performed outside?" Mr. At guessed.

"Correct, how did you know?" Katze asked, unbelieving.

"I was forced to go through one by that Fungiloid of yours," Mr. At replied.

"Sheesh, this guy has a suspicious reaction," Blackup commented as they all went outside. Fungila chased the two robots as she went out the opening.

When they arrived at the Bust-a-Move machine, Katze asked, "Who's going first?"

"I'll go first," Mr. At quickly replied as he took his position at the machine.

Katze looked a little surprised, but continued as if it was nothing.

The first game commenced, and Mr. At thought he was doing fine at first. His tower-building strategy was going as expected. That was until the first swarm of bubbles came.

With the star bubble, Mr. At quickly made his first tower fall, but the rainbow bubbles and hindrance blocks that came next were another matter. Those tended to block the path to cornerstone bubbles, and they did that at an alarming rate. In the end, Mr. At was forced to pile up bubbles to his loss, while Katze's board was as empty as ever.

Another losing game later, Mr. At was rather disappointed, but Blackup had a few words for him.

"I counted four twinges, three looks of surprise, and one 'Jano!' from Katze ever since we came here," Blackup commented when he saw Mr. At come off the platform.

"I think I counted the same," Mr. At replied, and then proceeded on with what he had to say. "This guy is hard. He keeps on foiling my plans and blocking me up. Then again, maybe I shouldn't use a strategy that relies on such essential aiming spots. You think you can beat him?"

"Probably not without assistance," Blackup replied. "But I think, with some teamwork, we can make it."

"Hopefully, he'll accept many trials," Mr. At responded. "Should I try again, or do you want to go?"

"I'll go," Blackup answered. "I don't think he'll approve if you try again so soon. And I think we'll have an edge from what we could tell from that first match."

"I hope that edge is enough," Mr. At remarked as Blackup ascended the platform.

Taking Mr. At's tips to heart, Blackup didn't try as risky a strategy against Katze. Instead, the black robot only made tiny towers of bubbles, so as to reduce the risk. Even then, though, he still lost both battles.

"Does anyone know how to beat this guy?" Blackup asked in exasperation.

"I think I noticed he was shooting a lot faster than you, so we need to raise the speed," Mr. At replied.

"That's a good tip," Blackup responded. "Also, do you think he'll accept another challenge?"

"I sure hope he does," Mr. At answered.

It turned out that Katze did accept another challenge, so both robots took another shot at it and lost. By then, Katze was willing to let them try again, but only once. The two robots were becoming a bit worried about that comment.

"Can't blame him for losing patience," Mr. At commented. "We've challenged him three times each when any bloke would challenge him only once. But how are we going to win?"

"Well, I've jacked up my speed," Blackup replied. "I think I'll be fast enough."

"And I hope he starts off with some unstable structure," Mr. At responded. "At least we can destroy that quicker than he can…"

"And we've spread our tower-building base," Blackup remarked. "Katze can't possibly block them all off, right?"

"Not unless he drops a tower early," Mr. At answered. "And I don't think he's going to try tower-building anytime soon."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Blackup excitedly cried. "Let's go!"

_And I thought I was more enthusiastic about our mission,_ Mr. At thought.

The two robots' strategy paid off. Though Mr. At took a bit to adjust (and thus lost the first game but won the next two), Blackup pulled it off flawlessly and won twice in a row. Katze was rather surprised about the turn of events.

"Jano, you won," Katze said, mildly stunned. "I guess I've got to tell you what you want to hear. It's going to take a long time, though…"

_Hopefully, it'll explain what was going on with his reactions,_ Blackup thought.

* * *

**Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides**

Fungiloid:

Rara horar rorura - "I found them"


	6. Chapter 6: Discovery

Note: Katze can (and will) never get Fungila's gender right. This will stay the same even if I post a story based on the same world after this.

Note 2: There are some Kazean-translated-to-English terminology in here. Full meanings are, as usual, on the bottom.

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah...

* * *

**Chapter 6: Discovery**

"To answer the question you two explicitly asked," Katze started, "the nearest settlement is that way." He pointed out an opening in the wall and to the northwest.

"Thank you," Mr. At remarked.

"But what was with you?" Blackup asked, tingeing his voice with a large dose of suspicion. "I noticed many suspicious things with you when we entered…"

"I was about to answer that," Katze replied. "The truth is…" He couldn't bring himself to say the final words.

After a long pause, Mr. At broke the silence and guessed, "You're going to say that you were related with us somehow before I left this planet?"

"Correct, you're pretty smart," Katze answered. "I was involved with you before you say you left this planet. In fact…I created you two."

That bombshell took a while to sink into the two robots' minds. Then Blackup raised himself and spoke, "You're trying to suppress that."

"I guess you could say so," Katze responded. "You two were going to help me with my goal of conquering space until…"

"…We angered you somehow, so we got disowned?" Mr. At said as he finished Katze's sentence.

"You're right," Katze commented with much surprise. "I guess you do remember more than I reprogrammed…"

"We don't. We're just pretty smart," Mr. At contradicted Katze's last statement.

"At least I didn't wipe out your intelligence," Katze pronounced. "As for what I had to do, I erased part of your memories. You two disobeyed me in a way I never predicted, so I had to."

"I don't think I'm an amnesiac," Blackup remarked. "Then again, I never bothered to review my past."

"No wonder I don't remember who created me," Mr. At also commented. As he thought of all the reasons why his memories were wiped, his mind was filled with an angry maelstrom of electricity.

As if he needed to stop Mr. At's mind storm, Katze commenced, "It wasn't as bad as what you think, Mr. At. I had to do this to you both only because you stepped out of line. Maybe you should learn you whole story so you would understand why I had to do this."

"I'll appreciate it," Mr. At replied.

"And thanks for implanting memories," Blackup also responded.

Katze drew in a breath and started his story. "It started some quaids ago when I realized that I couldn't possibly see all of this universe in one lifetime. I found that I needed someone to continue my work. Seeing as building malnusikes like you is more practical than having a child who might not agree, I built you, Mr. At. I based you on a model that could be used for exploring the cosmos, even though it was only an experimental prototype.

"Some quaids later, after you were putting through this stellar system learning about the planets, I realized that if you got busted or totalled, my work would be for nothing. So I built your backup, which would eventually develop itself as you, Blackup.

"Unfortunately, when I first powered you for a test run, Blackup, you refused to be power-outed to be more able to work when needed. You rebelled quite strongly, and when Mr. At came back from his voyage, he supported you and your ideas. So I decided that the one way to avoid further troubles like this was to erase those early memories and throw you out of the area. That was what I had to do, so that was what I did.

"After you were both gone, I learned that some other Kazes and malnusikes also discouraged the use of backups and test runs for them, so I now see your point of view. But I still tried to forget your existence. After all the hard work I put into both of you, only to have you be against me, I tried to repress all my memories about you two, as I had done with yours.

"After you two showed in front of me, though, I must acknowledge your existence. Now I am more willing to see what you two have to offer, especially if you are still willing to come back to my service. What is your decision?"

It didn't take long for either robot to come up with a reply. "Sorry, I'd rather not do what I think was asked of me," Blackup responded first. "I'd rather come back to the patch of forest I settled in, though I'm more than happy to follow Mr. At here. Then again, if you think I'll be the same as him or be in your most willing and obedient servitude, I won't."

"I also can't do what was offered by you," Mr. At followed up. "I still have obligations to the places I traveled. I might have accepted if I had come back earlier, but now I might make connections with others you might not approve. Also, since I did tell them I will return as soon as I could after I found who created me, I must go back now. I'm sorry, everyone, but if you want to come with me, I would appreciate that."

"I'd like to see where you're going," Blackup immediately offered.

"So where are you going, exactly?" Katze asked.

"Another planet called Planera," Mr. At answered. "That was the one I went to after you claim my memories got erased. It's fairly nearby, and the trip's only two weeks (in their time system). I told the natives I would come back."

"I've never heard of that place," Katze commented. "It could be interesting…"

"You may like it," Mr. At remarked. "They even play some of the same games as here."

Katze mulled over that idea for a bit before finally deciding. "Seeing every part of this universe (or at least as much of it as I could) has always been my dream, and from what you have said, this place could interest me, so I'll go too."

"I also observed that Fungiloid of yours," Blackup said. "Are you going to leave her behind or what?"

"I'd normally leave him here to guard the house, but since I might be spending a long time there, I'm thinking not," Katze answered.

"Shouldn't we ask Fungila for her opinion?" Mr. At suggested.

"If anyone understands her answer," Blackup responded.

"I've managed to learn some Fungiloid from him," Katze offered.

"Hold up, isn't she female?" Blackup muttered, but his question went unheeded.

They all walked outside, and Katze and Mr. At asked Fungila the question.

"Rara ru ayro ruhaha hruhru!" Fungila barked in reply.

"I'll safely assume that Fungila isn't going without his mate, whoever she is," Katze remarked when he heard the reply.

"Rara rayraw, ru raraw!" Fungila savagely growled, as if she understood every gender-related world her owner said.

"He says it so often, but I still haven't managed to learn what it means," Katze murmured as if to tell Mr. At and Blackup something.

Fungila was still shouting "Rayraw!" at the top of wherever her voice came from when another blue Fungiloid unexpectedly came. As soon as he arrived, the loud barking immediately stopped. The two of them jumped into each other and excitedly started chattering to each other.

"Must be a traditional greeting," Blackup mumbled.

After the Fungiloids' conversation, Fungila faced Katze as if to accept the offer.

"We should pack food for the trip, and we'd better recharge too," Mr. At stated as soon as everyone decided to go.

After a loquaid of packing and recharging, Katze, Fungila, and Fungilo hopped into a large orange spaceship, while Mr. At and Blackup ran ahead in order to blast off easier.

"So where is this Planera you were talking about?" Blackup asked.

"Don't worry, just follow me," Mr. At replied, then asked, "Who's going to guard the place now that Fungila's out?"

"I left another security system there," Katze cried from far away.

"Good," Mr. At muttered with relief. "We're leaving in five…four…three…two…one…"

Two jets of mist and one stream of grey wind flew off the planet of Kazera and headed into space. It would be two long weeks before they arrived at their destination. Who knows how the natives of Planera would react when they arrived?

Actually, Mog and Catch know, seeing as they have experienced it before. We'd better check on them…

* * *

**Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides**

Kazean:

Kaze - The other sentient species of Kazera (Katze is a member of this one)

Kazean-to-English:

Busted - Broken so the robot can no longer obtain additional stores of electricity, but is still functioning

Power-outed - Run out of power, can still be recharged

Totalled - Both busted and power-outed, beyond recovery (pretend robots are cars and you'll see what I mean)

Fungiloid:

Rara rayraw, ru raraw! - "I'm female, not male!"

Rara ru ayro ruhaha hruhru! - "I'm not going without my mate!"

Rayraw - Female


	7. Chapter 7: Homecoming

Note: This is the last chapter of the story. A semi-sequel, "Exciting Times Ahead", will come soon. Watch for it! 

Disclaimer: Pete and Repeat sat on a wall. Pete fell off. Who was left?

* * *

**Chapter 7: Homecoming**

Two weeks later, most of Planera and Izzardville were busying along in their usual lives. Even most of the members of the SBAM League were doing nothing in particular, besides drinking Mog's drinks, playing Bust-a-Move, and ruining a couple pieces of furniture. Mog and Catch, however, had their eyes fixed to the stars, as the Hyoniid meteor shower occured that day.

"I still hope Mr. At comes back," Mog sighed as she viewed the meteors streak across the sky.

"Me too, but sometimes it takes a long time to find who created you," Catch responded. He was currently in the form of a large telescope, so he could observe the meteors more closely.

As Catch counted the meteors that streaked through the sky, he soon became surprised. "105…106…107…108. 108?" he counted, then ended in a note of astonishment. He looked down to check his astronomy book, then reported, "This book's the most reliable I could get, and it says that the Hyoniid meteor shower only has 35-105 meteors an hour. And this book has a margin of error of 0. Well, either they need to update the book or you _are_ right, Mog."

Mog ignored Catch's last words, because she was interested in what was going on, too. "These ones are flaring up," Mog observed, and pointed to four streaks in the sky. "I wonder if they're going to land…"

"I hope they don't land with a bang," Catch replied.

Some minutes later, those same four meteors continued to flare up. By then, Catch could distinguish their features.

"You're right, Mog," Catch muttered as he continued to inspect the meteors. "One of them is Mr. At, I'm sure of that. Then again, I'm not sure why he brought friends. Also, one of them does look like a real meteor, so they might be in danger…"

"I hope it doesn't strike them," Mog commented worriedly after she heard Catch's remark.

Some minutes later, the four suspect meteors touched down, though not all at the same time. The first one Mog and Catch noticed was the true meteorite, as that landed about half an hour before the others did.

"It's tiny," Mog declared when she looked at it.

"If it were any bigger, it would have destroyed your house," Catch remarked. He had shifted back into his normal form so he could greet Mr. At more easily.

"At least it didn't hit them," Mog continued.

A couple of minutes later, Mog could also see that Mr. At was among them. Both she and Catch preferred to wait until everyone landed before they talked, though.

"Hey, good to see you, Mr. At!" Catch greeted.

"I missed you so much!" Mog followed.

"I wanted to see you, too!" Mr. At replied.

"Who are these guys?" Blackup muttered.

"So, who are these guys with you?" Catch asked as he saw Katze open the door of his spaceship.

"This one's Blackup," Mr. At presented, then whispered to Blackup, "Do you want to introduce yourself?"

"Er…yes…as he's confirmed, I'm Blackup, and I'd like to know your names," Blackup hastily introduced.

"I'm Mog," Mog replied.

"And I'm Catch," Catch also responded.

Katze soon came onto the scene, accompanied by Fungila and Fungilo as they bounded out of the spaceship door.

When Mr. At saw Katze and his gang arrive (which was soon after everyone introduced themselves), he said, "You'll probably have to introduce yourselves again, sorry."

"Who…are…you?" Katze stumbled over his meagre knowledge of English.

Mog and Catch had to go over their introduction speeches again, and after Katze introduced himself, Mr. At followed up, "These ones are Fungila and Fungilo. They can't really learn English, so you'll have to trust their body language. Also, the purple one is Fungila, and she's female. The other one is Fungilo, and he's male."

Fungila barked as if to prove what Mr. At had said, while Fungilo just stayed silent.

Blackup then asked, "So where will we be staying?"

Mog cheerfully replied, "Oh, I almost forgot to show you the house! You'll be staying there, unless you want to stay at Catch's or someplace."

They all headed for the house, leaving the orange spaceship in the nearby field. When they arrived, Bubblun had an enthusiastic greeting.

"Welcome, everyone!" Bubblun exclaimed. "Are you just here to visit, or are you joining our league?"

"He's always saying this if he's at the door," Catch remarked as they went in.

Mr. At stayed behind with Blackup and the others. He told Bubblun, "We're just visiting, unless you say anything different—" At the word "you", Mr. At nudged Blackup slightly.

"What's this league?" Blackup asked.

Mr. At told a speech about the SBAM League and what they played, and Katze immediately replied, "Sounds like what I play back in Kazera! Of course I'll join."

"By that, he means yes," Mr. At translated to Bubblun.

"I'll also join," Blackup accepted with better English than Katze.

By then, the two Fungiloids were barking "Raaaa!" at the tops of their voices.

"That means yes," Katze translated.

"That also means yes for both of them," Mr. At translated further.

"All right, I'll register all of you," Bubblun declared. "Evaluation is tomorrow. Want some food?"

"I hope I don't have conflicts," Katze responded in Kazean.

"Anything for interplanetary visitors like us?" Mr. At asked.

"Oh yes, back when Catch came here…yes, we do have such food, and it's over there," Bubblun responded, and led them all to the living room.

In the living room, the whole SBAM League was assembled, playing Bust-a-Move and eating finger foods. The showcased game was with Winky against Pink T, and Winky was, of course, losing.

"The food's over here," Bubblun stated, and Katze tentatively picked up some food. Fungilo immediately leaped at a slab of raw meat Moga left by the sink.

"No, you can't have that, Moga's going to cook it," Bubblun disciplined. "But we can give you some if the others want to."

When the crew came to the main body, Wolo greeted, "Hey, Mr. At, good to see you back!"

"Mr. At's back?" Green Wolo, who was nearby, asked in surprise.

"He's right here," Wolo quickly responded.

"Good to see you!" Mr. At replied back.

Thus, Mr. At found his creator and convinced him to come to Planera. Planera received more aliens that day, and Mog and Catch were reunited with their friend. More excitement was soon to come, with Mr. At's return and the coming of new members…

* * *

**Your Vocabulary and Translation Guides**

Fungiloid:

Ra (the number of a's does not matter) - A general positive remark, often used as "yes"


End file.
